United States Patent [19]
[11]
4,120,101
Drew
[45]
Oct. 17, 1978
[54] ORTHOPAEDIC FOOTWEAR
[76] Inventor: John Alan Drew, 433 Uxbridge Rd.
Ealing, London W.5., England
[21] App]. No.: 750,716
[22] Filed:
[30]
Dec. 15, 1976
Foreign Application Priority Data
Jul. 7, 1976 [GB]
[51]
[52]
[58]
[56]
United Kingdom ............. .. 28295/76
Int. C1.2 ....................... .. A43B l/10; A43B 23/00
US. Cl. ......................................... .. 36/4; 36/57
Field of Search ....................... .. 36/83, 4, 7.3, 7.1,
36/45, 57, 43, 44, 55
References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
1,519,009 12/1924
1,739,612 12/1924
2,433,228 12/1947
2,599,116 6/1952
2,724,676 11/1955
3,530,489
9/1970
Appleton ........................... .. 36/55 X
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
2,422,393 11/ 1975 Fed, Rep. of Germany ............ .. 36/55
Primary ExamineréPatrick D. Lawson
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Rogers, Eilers & Howell
[57]
ABSTRACT
An article of orthopaedic footwear comprises an upper
of thermosoftening plastics material, e. g. a vinyl polyer,
having a lining of resilient expanded therrnosoftening
plastics material of closed cell construction, eg an
expanded cross-linked polyethylene. The upper has an
autogenously welded seam covered externally by a strip
of thermosoftening plastics material, tag. a vinyl poly
mer, autogenously welded to the upper on both sides of
the seam, e. g. by longitudinal and/or transverse welds.
The article can be shaped by forming and/or cutting the
upper.
.
9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures
US. Patent
4,120,101
Oct. 17, 1978
12
F102.11
FIG
.88
(i??iAl :MN
1 .7..1 .17
FIGS.
4,120,101
1
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
ORTHOPAEDIC FOOTWEAR
The invention will be described further, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
INVENTION
The invention relates to an article of orthopaedic
footwear constructed of plastics material, and to a
method of making such an article.
2
drawings, in which:
,
FIG. l'is a perspective view of an orthopaedic shoe;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the insole of the shoe;
'
FIG. 3 is a side view of the insole;
A number of processes for making orthopaedic foot
_ FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part of the rear end of
wear are already known, but these result in articles 10 the shoe, showing the covered seam construction;
which have a very limited life. Furthermore, the articles
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the covered seam construc-_
produced are not adaptable to the wide range of. defor
tion of FIG. 4;
mities which are met with in practice; i.e. each article of
FIG. 6 is a section through a longitudinal weld, on
footwear is made to an individual design.
line A—-A in FIG. 4;
The present invention provides an article of ortho 15 FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 4, showing another covered
paedic footwear comprising an upper secured to a sole,
seam construction; and
'
the upper being of thermosoftening plastics material and
having a lining of resilient expanded thermosoftening
plastics material of closed cell construction, in which
FIG. 8 is a section through a transverse weld, on line
B-B in FIG. 7.
the upper has an autogenously welded .seam covered 20
'
DESCRIPTION OF THE
EMBODIMENTS
externally by a strip of thermosoftening plastics material
autogenously welded to. the upper on both sides of th
1 ‘
The shoe illustrated has an upper 1 of PVC bonded to
a backing 2 of thermosoftening textile material which is
in turn bonded to a lining 3 of a low density “Plas
seam construction. The article can be shaped to suit the 25 ‘tazote” (a Trade Mark for- an expanded cross-linked
seam.
'
This article of footwear thus has a particularly strong
patient, by forming and/or cutting-the upper, without
polyethylene). The upper is madeby a vacuum-forming
substantial restriction, since the seam construction is
a ?at blank on a last. With the upper turned inside out,
equally suitable for forming and cutting. For instance, if
the PVC is autogenously welded by diathermy inthe
the article is in ‘the form of a bootee,-the seam being at
heel region to form a seam 4.
the rear, the ankle portion and/or the heel portion can 30 A- strip 6 of PVC is placed on the exterior of the
be formed and/or cut in order to suit'the patient. Thus,
upper 1 so as to cover the seam 4. As shown» in FIGS.
articles in accordance with the invention can be sup
4 to 6, the strip 6 is autogenously welded to the upper 1
plied as stock items which can subsequently be adapted
by diathermy along two longitudinal welds =I7___at‘ the
to the shape required.
edges of the strip. FIG. 6 shows a weld 7 in cross-‘sec’,
The invention'also provides a method of making the 35 tion, and it will be noted that thereis no interfaceibe
above article comprising vacuum-forming an upper
tween the two welded materials at the position of the
from thermosoftening sheet plastics material having a ./ weld; the weld 7 is thus substantially equal in strength to \
lining of resilient expanded thermosoftening plastics "
the strip 6.
,
v
_
material, autogenously welding the sheet plastics mate
rial by diathermy (high frequency heating) to form‘ a
Flexing of the strip6 between the welds 7 can weaken
40 the strip. This can be prevented, as shown in FIGS. 7
seam, externally covering the seam with a strip of ther
and 8, by forming transverse weld“ at the same time as
mosoftening plastics material, autogenously welding
'- the longitudinalwelds 7. The welds 8 are spaced along
the strip to the upper on both sides of the seam by dia
thermy, and securing the upper to a sole.
the strip 6. If the heel of the upperis to be partially cut
away to suit the patient’s foot, it is easy to ensure that
Preferably there is a longitudinal weld along each of 45 the cut passes along one of the welds 8, so that the strip
the longitudinal edges of the strip. Alternatively or
6 has no unwelded edge which could be a point of
(preferably) additionally, there may be transverse welds
weakness.
Q
spaced along the strip; if it is subsequently necessary to
The transverse welds 8 result in transverse recesses in
cut across the seam, the out can be made along one of
the lining 3, the recesses therefore separating transverse
the transverse welds, so that there are no loose portions 50 ridges which act as a moulded heel gripL-This effec
which might be weakened by ?exing.
tively reduces slip between the inner rear surface of the
The article of footwear preferably has a removable
upper and the patient’s heel. This rear surface can be
insole of resilient expanded thermoplastic material. The
moulded to individual requirements.
insole can thus be removed from the article, shaped to
The upper 1 is adhesively secured to a sole 9. An
the patient’s foot, and replaced. A preferred insole com 55 insole 11 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is ?tted in the shoe. It com
prises a top layer of lower density and a separate bottom
prises a top layer 12 of low-density “Plastazote” and a
layer of higher density.
separate bottom layer 13 of high-density “Plastazote”.
The plastics material of the upper and of the strip is
The insole 11 can be removed for replacement or shap
preferably a vinyl polymer, e. g. polyvinylchloride
mg.
(PVC). The upper may have a backing of thermosoften 60 A “Velcro” (Trade Mark) connection is secured to
ing textile material bonded to the upper, between the
the exterior of the upper over the slit 14 seen in FIG. 1.
upper and its lining. The expanded plastics material
Various modi?cations may be made within the scope
of the invention. For instance, the longitudinal scams 7
linked polyethylene.
could be omitted from the construction shown in FIG.
There may, of course, be more than one scam in the 65 7. The upper could be vacuum-formed in two halves,
upper, each seam being covered by a strip as described
which would then be welded together by two seams,
used in the articlev is preferably an expanded cross
above. For instance, there may be an seam at the toe and
at the heel.
one at the heel, the other at the toe.
I claim:
3
4,120,101
ing.
6. The article of claim 1 wherein the stripof ther
mosoftening material has a plurality of transverse welds
wearer having a sole, an upper sheet of thermosoftenin g
material secured to the sole, the upper sheet having two
edges permanently joined at a seam, strip of thermosoft
ening material having edges that‘ are welded to the outer
surface of the upper sheet covering the seam, the article
having means allowing trimming of the article to selec
tively modify the article to conform to the foot of the
wearer and to retain the structural integrity and modi
?ed shape of the article when so modi?ed.
2. The article of claim 1 wherein the article has an
4
backing sheet is bonded to the upper sheet and the lin
1. An articleof orthopedic footwear adapted to be
selectively modi?ed to conform to the foot of the
spaced along the strip, said transverse welds forming
means to allow selective modi?cation of the article by
trimming along a weld and retaining the structural in
10
tegrity of the trimmed article.
7. The article of claim 1 wherein the upper sheet and
the strip are made of a vinyl polymer plastic material.
8. The article of claim 1 wherein the article has a
removable insole of resilient expanded thermosoftening
material, the insole having two layers, the bottom layer,
normally contacting the article when used therein,
upper of vinyl polymer plastic material formed with an
autogenously welded seam at the heel of the article; a
being of greater density than the top layer.
backing of thermosoftening textile material bonded to
9. An article of orthopedic footwear adapted to be
the.upper; a liner of expanded cross-linked plastic mate
selectively modi?ed to conform to the foot of the indi
rial bonded to the backing; a strip of vinyl polymer
vidual wearer comprising a sole; an upper of vinyl poly
plastic material autogenously welded to the outer sur
mer plastic material secured to the sole and formed with
face of the upper and covering the seam; and having 20 an autogenously welded seam at the heel of the article;
a backing of thermosoftening textile material bonded to
means allowing triming of the article to selectively
the upper; a liner of expanded cross-linked plastic mate
modify the article to conform the article to the foot of
rial bonded to the backing; a strip of vinyl polymer
the. wearer and retain the structural integrity and modi
plastic material autogenously welded to the outer sur
?ed shape of the article when so modi?ed by trimming
across'the seam and strip of vinyl polymer plastic mate 25 face of the upper and covering the seam; the weld in
cluding a longitudinal weld along each longitudinal
rial; a removable insole having a top layer of low den
edge of the strip and a plurality of transverse welds
sity plastic material, and a bottom layer of high density
spaced along the strip forming a plurality of cavities
plastic material; and means de?ning a slit in the instep
between the upper sheet and the strip between the trans
area of the upper to aid in putting on and removing the
verse welds and forming a plurality of transverse ridges
footwear and means for securing the slit in a closed
along the inner surface of the heel area of the article to
condition during wearing of the footwear.
grip the foot of the wearer, the transverse welds form
23.‘ The, article of claim 1 wherein the article has a
ing means to allow selective modi?cation of the article
lining-of thermosoftening material on the inner surface
by trimming along a weld and retaining the structural
of the, upper and the lining is made of resilient expanded 35 integrity of the trimmed article; a removable insole
thermosoftening plastic material of closed cell construc
tion.
.,
.g
,
having a top layer of low density expanded cross-linked
plastic material, and a bottom layer of high density
'
' 4. The article ‘of-claim ‘wherein the lining is made of
plastic material; and means de?ning a slit in the instep
area of the upper to aid in putting on and removing the
expanded cross-linked polyethylenel
' 5.;The article of claim 3 wherein the article has a 40 footwear and means for securing‘ the slit in a closed
backingsheet of thermosoftening textile material be
condition during wearing of the footwear.
tween the upper sheet and. the lining and wherein the
.
45
55
65
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